Note:This is the 6th installment in a 7-part series on the bakers whose confections will be featured in the upcoming tea party.

The first time I met Imelda she gave me a White Velvet Symphony ”“ no, not a slice but the entire cake. We met because I was interviewing her for a magazine article. We’ve been fast friends ever since, and I’m a regular customer at her specialty ingredients store, Chef’s Nook (220 Pilar St., Mandaluyong), which deserves its own feature on this website.

Even just saying its name, White Velvet Symphony, evokes images of romance. It’s a white chocolate cake embraced with layers of meringue and crunchy dark chocolate. Then it’s filled with white chocolate cream, frosted with whipped cream and flourished with toasted sliced almonds. It’s one of those cakes that garner gasps when the first slice is cut and served.

Though it has show-stopping good looks, the flavors in this symphony are actually quite subtle. The white chocolate’s sweetness is tempered by the cake and cream, with bites of the meringue and dark chocolate contributing a crescendo. Every bite is cloaked in a kiss of whipped cream and almonds, providing a dreamy soundtrack to this creation.

When I see hazelnuts, I think chocolate, and chocolate and hazelnuts make gianduja (gyan-DOO-ha; john-DOO-ya), the most well-known being Nutella and confections Ferrero Rocher and Baci. Also called filberts or cobnuts, hazelnuts are grape-shaped and have a particularly smooth and rich flavor. I try as much as possible to not have a jar of Nutella in the house because I end up smearing it on everything from French toastto ice cream. It’s one of those spreads that I eat enthusiastically with my fingers.

Imelda’s Triple Hazelnut Mousse brings my Nutella dreams to life, albeit to a more refined level. I get my hazelnut fix multiplied by three in three layers of mousse: dark chocolate, white chocolate, and hazelnut, made from Callebaut’s gianduja bar. This breathtaking magnification of hazelnut mania sits atop a fudgy chocolate cake base. Tell me, how sexy is that? It’s smoothness multiplied by three, softening slowly, sensually. Imelda tells me that this dessert is best served frozen when its texture is like ice cream. But I prefer it when it’s just starting to melt.

Comments

I’ve always wanted to visit Chef’s Nook once I read about it, but I forgot the address when I was in the area. Magazine article, does that mean you were the one who wrote about Chef’s Nook & Magic Kitchen in Food Magazine a few years ago? I remember reading that article 🙂 I’ll go check the back issues at home.

Hi Lori, I tried the White Velvet Symphony about a year ago through a friend. The cake was indeed yummy and not too sweet and when frozen it was like an ice cream cake to me. I am very excited to try the Tripe Hazelnut Mousse, because just like you Iam a huge fan of Nutella and Gianduja. Can’t Wait!